(SAN FRANCISCO) — President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement over the weekend that he wanted to reopen and expand the notorious Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in San Francisco Bay is drawing new attention to the infamous prison.
Alcatraz closed its doors as a federal prison 60 years ago after housing some of America’s most infamous criminals, including Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly. During its 29-year run as a federal penitentiary from 1934 to 1963, Alcatraz earned a reputation for being the final stop for inmates who couldn’t be controlled at other facilities, according to the Bureau of Prisons.
The island’s enduring mystique has also attracted Hollywood, most notably for the 1962 film “The Birdman of Alcatraz,” starring Burt Lancaster, and the 1996 action thriller “The Rock,” starring Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage. The production team filmed significant portions of “The Rock” on location at the actual prison.
Despite its fearsome reputation, Alcatraz was never the prison portrayed in Hollywood films. According to the Bureau of Prisons, the facility maintained a surprisingly small population, averaging between 260 and 275 inmates — less than 1% of the federal prison population at the time. Some inmates even requested transfers to Alcatraz, attracted by conditions that included single-occupancy cells.
What made Alcatraz unique was its strict regimen. Prisoners were granted just four basic rights: food, clothing, shelter and medical care. Everything else, from family visits to library access, had to be earned through good behavior.
The system was designed to teach compliance, with inmates typically spending five years on the island before being transferred back to other facilities, according to the BOP.
The prison’s isolation in San Francisco Bay contributed to its mystique, particularly regarding escape attempts. Over its operational history, 36 men attempted to flee in 14 separate incidents, according to the Bureau of Prisons. While officially no one ever succeeded in escaping, five prisoners remain “missing and presumed drowned” to this day.
Contrary to popular belief, the BOP said that man-eating sharks didn’t patrol the waters around Alcatraz. The real challenges for would-be escapees were the bay’s frigid temperatures (averaging 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit), powerful currents and the 1.25-mile distance to shore.
According to the National Park Service, Alcatraz Island receives approximately 1.2 million visitors annually as a national park site, offering tours of the former prison and serving as a symbol that prompts visitors to contemplate issues of crime, punishment and justice — themes that have resurged in the national conversation following Trump’s announcement.
The island’s history extends beyond its prison years. Fortified initially as a military installation in the 1850s, Alcatraz formed part of San Francisco Bay’s coastal defense system and housed the West Coast’s first operational lighthouse, according to the BOP.
The Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala first named the island “Alcatraces” in 1775, according to the BOP, meaning “pelicans” or “strange bird” — a far cry from the ominous reputation it would later acquire as America’s most notorious federal penitentiary.
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